Last year, Markus Summers was commander of Prince George’s Police District 3 when he toured the Landover Station area with county Housing Director Thomas Thompson.

“What we identified were some places where if they redeveloped, would re-energize or refresh the community,” Summers recalled.

One of the places they selected was the former Hawthorne Gardens in Landover, which now is being renovated into Highland at Landover Station. The project is scheduled for completion by year-end.

“There will be others,” said spokesman John Erzen, who represents County Executive Jack Johnson, though none have been announced. “… We are going to do whatever it is we need to do with housing and police working together to address issues at various properties.”

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Summers is just one of the police district commanders who have pointed out high-crime properties to Thompson that they believe could be bettered through redevelopment and renovation.

The Highland at Landover Station condominiums also will include a playground and a community gathering area with a gazebo. Ranging in price from $149,000 to $209,000, Erzen said, some of the units will be ready for move-in by the end of the month.

Summers, who has since earned a promotion, said police received “several calls for service for disorderly incidents [and] drug trafficking” at Hawthorne Gardens.

“There is a direct relationship between the environment and crime and disorder,” Summers said.

Although all 110 units at Highland at Landover Station will be completely renovated with new carpeting, hardwood floors and improved kitchens, among other amenities, work on future properties might not be as extensive, Erzen said.

“There are a lot of things that you can do … to help make the environment less conducive to crime,” Erzen said.

According to Erzen, nobody lived at the site when redevelopment began, so people weren’t displaced.

Though The Examiner made an initial request two weeks ago, and followed up several times, the county would not say how much the redevelopment cost or provide specifics on the developers. Erzen identified them only as pair of developers — including one from Prince George’s — known as Hawthorne II Group, and said they paid for the project.

dfowler@dcexaminer.com